Telling the time in Vietnamese

How to ask for the time in Vietnamese

In this table we will provide you with different expressions on how to ask someone for the time.

• To ask more politely add 'làm ơn cho hỏi': Làm ơn cho hỏi bây giờ là mấy giờ rồi?

How to tell the time...

...in full hours

In order to tell the time, you use 'giờ', which stands for o'clock.

...in half hours

To tell the half hours, you use 'rưỡi' (half) after the full hours.

...in minutes

To tell the time after the hour from 31 minutes, you use 'kém', which means 'to'. When you refer to the minutes before 30 (1-29), the minutes are added with 'phút' without a linking word. However, 'phút' can also be left out but is added when sentences are rather short.

The times of the day

As the Vietnamese also use a 12 hour system, it is important to note how they refer to the specific time of the day (am/pm). They use 'sáng' for morning, 'trưa' for afternoon, 'chiều' for evening and 'tối'/đêm' for night.

Summary

After this chapter you will know how to tell the full hours, the half hours and the specific minutes. Moreover, you'll be able to refer to the right time of the day and ask for the time. As usual, we've attached a Video for you to show it all more clearly. To further test your skills, try out our free exercises! :)